's
possession. As a matter of fact, however, I was allowed to do pretty
much as I liked; and my employment (absurd as it may sound) for the most
part consisted in designing kites and other toys for the natives, who in
mind and disposition resemble children rather than grown people--sullen
and rather vicious children, I should say.

I believe that Obed's body never came to land. Panic-stricken by his
death (I was told), our surviving comrades turned and fled into the
woods: and from that hour no more was heard of them. Probably they
perished of weariness and hunger; it is at least unlikely in the extreme
that they found their way back among civilised men.

Though I accompanied my master and his household northward to the
village near Cape Flattery, where his chief residence lay, and remained
more than three months in his service, I could never obtain speech with
Margit. But I have reason to believe she accepted her new life with
absolute contentment. No doubt, though, she found the sight of me an
irksome reminder: and one day early in April Yootramaki took me aside
and promised me my liberty if I would travel with him as far as the
Strait, where an American brig had lately arrived. Of course I accepted
his offer with gratitude; and we set forth next day. The captain of
this brig (the _Cordelia_) was a Mr. Best, and his business in those
parts seemed to consist in trading old American muskets in exchange for
furs and dried fish. The Indians have no notion of repairing a gun
which has got out of order, and Captain Best actually carried a gunsmith
on board, whose knowledge enabled him to buy up at one place all the
guns that wanted repairing, and sell them as new pieces at another.

It only remains to add that the _Cordelia_ conveyed me to Valparaiso,
whence I shipped for England, reaching the Downs in safety on the 4th of
April, 1809.

[1] Shelter from the wind.
[2] Farmyard.

THE SINGULAR ADVENTURE OF A SMALL FREE-TRADER

[_The events which are to be narrated happened in the spring of 1803,
and just before the rupture of the Peace of Amiens between our country
and France; but were related to my grandfather in 1841 by one Yann, or
Jean, Riel, a Breton "merchant," alias smuggler--whether or not a
descendant of the famous Herve of that name, I do not know. He chanced
to fall ill while visiting some friends in the small Cornish
fishing-town, of which my grandfather was the only doctor; and this is
one